Ranking the Worst Husbands in History: Alexander Blok and Other Great Yet Terrible Men!

These men were incredibly gifted but had notoriously difficult temperaments. Meet nine historical geniuses whose wives endured great hardships!

Alexander Blok

Why he made the list: He went too far trying to separate love from sex and treated marital duties dismissively.

Blok once wrote, “I am afraid to meet you. More frightening is not meeting you,” a sentiment that proved true at least for the first part. Though he married Lyubov Mendeleeva out of love, Blok was an unusual husband. He seemed stuck in adolescence—idolizing one girl and pursuing casual sex with another. For a year after their wedding, he refused to fulfill his marital obligations, preferring paid companions. Eventually, Lyubov seduced him, but he favored “spiritual closeness” to avoid disappointment and losing love. He openly relieved his erotic tension elsewhere, never hiding this from his wife.

“I enter dark temples,
Perform a humble rite.
There I await the Beautiful Lady
In the flicker of red lamps.”

Poor Lyubov! This verse clearly shows there was no room for physical intimacy in that 'temple.'

Albert Einstein

Why he made the list: He often confused his wife with a servant and blurred boundaries between work and personal life.

The great physicist drafted a manifesto to manage his relationship with his first wife, Mileva Marić, balancing science and extramarital affairs. After eleven years of marriage, Mileva received a list of demands: she was to keep his clothes and linens in order and provide meals thrice daily. She was forbidden from humiliating him in front of their children. But the most shocking was the veto on marital intimacy—she was not to expect or reproach him for lack of sex. He also reserved the right to silence her on command and to demand she leave the bedroom or study immediately without objection.

It’s no surprise their marriage eventually ended.

• Spy and Seductress: How Soviet Agent Margarita Konenkova Captivated Albert Einstein

Ivan Bunin

Why he made the list: After 20 years of marriage, he relegated his wife to a “dull corner” in their love triangle.

The writer emigrated to France with his wife Vera Nikolaevna, fleeing the chaos after the October Revolution. Yet, he created turmoil at home. His last love, Galina Kuznetsova, so captivated him that a year into their affair, tired of secret meetings in rented Paris apartments, he installed her at his villa in Grasse. Vera pretended ignorance, convincing herself that her husband loved Galina like a daughter, replacing their deceased son, Kolya. Thus, she tried to love Galina too.

Ivan the Terrible

Why he made the list: He was harsh with his wives and followed a brutal “no person, no problem” approach.

The exact number of Ivan IV’s wives is uncertain, but most agree he had seven, violating church canons limiting marriage to two. Notorious for his cruelty, Ivan’s wives met tragic fates—poisoning, imprisonment, and even drowning. His first wife, Anastasia Zakharina, was allegedly poisoned. His second, Maria Temryukovna, imprisoned and died young. Third wife Marfa Saburova died shortly after marriage, possibly poisoned. The fourth, Anna, was exiled to a convent for over 50 years. Maria Dolgorukaya was drowned for premarital indiscretions. His 17-year-old fifth wife died of illness shortly after marriage. Vasiliisa Melentyeva, the penultimate wife, was buried alive for infidelity. Only his last wife, Maria Nagaya, outlived him.

Ivan’s wives’ fates resemble a grim nursery rhyme, echoing Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians.”

Carl Gustav Jung

Why he made the list: He not only advocated polygamy to his clients but also practiced it himself.

Jung was married once, living with his wife Emma Rauschenbach for over 50 years and fathering five children. However, his personal life was complicated. He used his professional position to engage in intimate relationships with female patients, including Sabina Spielrein, portrayed by Keira Knightley in “A Dangerous Method.” Another close patient was Antonia Wolff, a brilliant woman who collaborated with Jung on his theories of the collective unconscious and explored the mystical aspects of sexuality. Despite his marriage, Jung did not extend these ideals to his wife.

Lev Landau

Why he made the list: He was oblivious to the consequences of his actions.

Landau called marriage a “small-scale trade stall,” believing love and marriage were incompatible. He feared losing his cherished freedom but still married, making his fiancée swear she would not be jealous of his mistresses. He declared, “While all my talks about mistresses are unfortunately only theoretical... jealousy is excluded in our marriage, I will definitely have mistresses! I want to live brightly, beautifully, interestingly.” When his wife Kora was pregnant, he casually announced he would bring a woman home, instructing Kora to stay quiet or leave so as not to scare the visitor. Understandably, Kora could not tolerate this and left, but Landau never understood why.

Amedeo Modigliani

Why he made the list: According to some accounts, he proposed sharing death with his common-law wife.

While Modigliani’s substance abuse mainly destroyed himself, his egotism deeply affected those around him. Jeanne Hébuterne stood by him through hardships, breaking with her family who disapproved of his lifestyle—heavy drinking, fighting, drug use, and erratic temperament. She gave up her promising art career to care for him and their child. Tragically, before his death, Modigliani asked Jeanne to die with him so they could be together eternally in paradise. At 22 and pregnant with their second child, Jeanne fulfilled his wish, dying the day after his funeral.

• “Woman in Her Total Changeability Is a Mystery to Man”: The Story of Artist Edvard Munch Who Never Found His One True Love

Vyacheslav Molotov

Why he made the list: Allowed his wife’s arrest without protest.

Molotov’s wife, Polina Zhemchuzhina, irritated Stalin for two main reasons: her friendship with Stalin’s wife, Nadya Alliluyeva, whom Stalin blamed for his wife's death, and her strong-willed, ambitious, and intelligent nature. Polina was a forceful woman who managed both her career and her husband, who was the head of state. Stalin repeatedly urged Molotov to divorce her. Molotov refused, leading to her removal from the Central Committee, accusations of treason, and arrest. Despite loving her, Molotov obeyed Party discipline, stating, “I am a Politburo member and must submit to its decisions… I obeyed when they decided to eliminate my wife.” He later called her a true Bolshevik and Soviet person who suffered because she was his wife but never blamed Stalin.

Henry VIII

Why he made the list: Treated his wives as expendable, discarding them when bored.

Remembering Henry VIII’s six wives is easier with the mnemonic taught in English schools: “Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived.” The Tudor king rapidly lost interest in his spouses regardless of the efforts made. To marry Anne Boleyn, who refused to be his mistress, Henry broke with the Vatican, initiating the English Reformation after a seven-year divorce battle with Catherine of Aragon. Three years later, he accused Anne of adultery and had her executed, despite her bearing his daughter. He quickly married Jane Seymour, who died in childbirth. When asked whom to save, mother or child, Henry replied, “Save the child. I can get as many women as I want.”

• The Rebel Queen: Why a Black Actress Was Cast as Anne Boleyn

His next marriage to Anne of Cleves failed because he disliked her appearance despite liking her portrait—a modern-day Photoshop disaster. The marriage was annulled within six months. Wife number five, Catherine Howard, was executed for adultery. Only Catherine Parr, the sixth wife, survived Henry.

Explore useful articles in Sex as of 18-06-2024. The article titled " Ranking the Worst Husbands in History: Alexander Blok and Other Great Yet Terrible Men! " offers in-depth analysis and practical advice in the Sex field. Each article is carefully crafted by experts to provide maximum value to readers.

The " Ranking the Worst Husbands in History: Alexander Blok and Other Great Yet Terrible Men! " article expands your knowledge in Sex, keeps you informed about the latest developments, and helps you make well-informed decisions. Each article is based on unique content, ensuring originality and quality.